In conventional systems, users have access to a plurality of interactive media content. One type of interactive media content is a video gaming application. In a typical video gaming application, a user controls and manipulates his or her progress through the video game by user inputs entered into a user input interface. The user input types available to the user, and the function associated with each, is typically determined by the video game.
While the user input types available to the user are often sufficient in meeting the needs of the user in relation to the video gaming application, users may wish to access other content that is unrelated to the video gaming application. Moreover, during particular points in the video gaming, a user may find it advantageous if media guidance application operations unrelated to the video gaming application (e.g., recording content, accessing a listing of current available programs, etc.) may be accessed and controlled while a user enjoys the video gaming application. However, control schemes used to operate video gaming applications often do not account for the need to perform media guidance application operations unrelated to the video gaming applications; thus, typical control schemes do not have user input types available for use in controlling additional media guidance application operations.